Frostbite
by whoficky
Summary: Rose is excited about the next stop on their Christmas Tour of wintery planets, but some unfriendly locals put her fun, and her life in jeopardy. The Doctor has a plan, but it could change everything between them.
1. Chapter 1

"All set?" the Doctor asked as he glanced up from fiddling with something on the TARDIS console.

"Just about," Rose grinned back before plopping onto the jump seat to finish getting on her hat and gloves.

Before traveling with the Doctor, she had hated getting all dressed up to go outside during the London winter. There was always that inevitable bit of time where she was stifling in all the warm clothes before she stepped outside into the blessedly cool air. When she was waiting for her mum to finish getting ready, she was usually sweating through at least the first layer before they finally got out the door. But here, on the TARDIS, the sentient ship lowered the ambient temperature with each layer she put on so that even now, with her feeling more marshmallow than human, she was quite comfortable.

"What about you though?" Rose asked looking up at the Doctor in his usual leather jacket and jeans. To Rose's immense delight the later article of clothing was on the more fitted side today. If she had just stayed at the doorway to finish putting on her winter things she'd be enjoying a lovely view right now. _Ugg Rose, snap out of it!_ She mentally gave herself a little shake so she could focus on her inquiry, "Won't you be cold? With the clothes the TARDIS picked out for me, you would think we're gong to the arctic or somethin'."

The Doctor grinned, "Naw, superior biology, me. I'll be fine. Besides, it's not like we're going to be out there for that long."

"No?" Rose frowned. It was near Christmas in her timeline and she'd begged the Doctor to stick to strictly chilly destinations so she could get in the proper Christmas spirit before he took her back to visit her Mum for the holiday. Last year they'd come right from a humid, volcanic planet when he took her home for Christmas (a few days late, Jackie would never let them forget) and it had just felt so…wrong. A girl could get used to any number of things - talking cat nuns, farting aliens, and a best mate who she secretly pined for with ever fiber of her being - but certain things, like a wintery Christmas season, she just couldn't let go.

To be honest, she had been surprised when the Doctor had grudgingly agreed to go along with her "Pre-Christmas Tour" when she brought it up last week. Sure, they had the odd adventure in snow capped mountains or a space station with the heating on the fritz, but usually they kept to more temperate locations. She figured that the Doctor just preferred the warmer destinations throughout time and space. But when she'd asked for a week of snow and mittens and hot coco with marshmallows, she'd given him "the look" that he rarely could refuse, and sure enough, he'd agreed with a grumble. His sulking had only lasted until the second day of their winter tour when the two of them showed some local kids of a snowy planet how to build a snowman. Or snow quadruped with wings, as it happened. Rose had to expend more than a little effort to hide the grin that threatened to take over her face as she remembered how his bright blue eyes had sparkled at the children's delighted laughter. Instead, she focused on getting a longer trip out of the Doctor. "And why not? It wouldn't happen to be because it _is_ too cold even for a Great Time Lord and you have a fear of puffy coats…or anything other than leather and jeans?"

The Doctor gave her a withering look and sighed, "Puffy coats? After what we do every day, you really think I'm afraid of puffy coats?"

"Dunno," Rose hoped up from the jump seat to follow him around the console as he set the coordinates, "Who knows what goes on in that head of yours. With all that superior brain power you're always talkin' about, I'm sure there's room for a strange phobia or two." _Like any kind of domestics,_ Rose thought wryly.

The Doctor just glared at her, though he couldn't hide the way his eyes danced from her teasing. "As I was saying…" he started meaningful, "I don't expect to be there long because there's not all that much to do. Planet's been uninhabited for centuries and the chemical makeup of the water vapor makes snow highly unlikely, even at sub-zero temperatures. So no snow-aliens today."

Rose frowned, "Well then why are we going there? Sounds sorta…dunno…boring."

The Doctor mumbled something, but Rose didn't catch it because he'd gone and stuck his head under the console to fiddle with something.

"What's that? Didn't quite hear ya," she bit her tongue and grinned at him once he'd come back up to finish the materialization sequence of the TARDIS.

"Cuz. It's. Pretty," the Doctor over enunciated each word, his ears turning redder with each syllable.

"Oh," was all Rose could think to say. She'd seen all manner of amazing and beautiful things since she'd started traveling with the Doctor, but usually that was more of a side effect of the main event. It was rare he took her someplace simply to admire the view. In fact, the last time he'd done such a thing was Woman Wept. It had been a lovely trip, at least until Jack started mercilessly teasing the two of them about it being a date. Blimey, and that had been months ago! Jack had since taken a sabbatical from traveling with them search for a long lost brother, so there was no threat of his teasing, but still, there hadn't been any more sight seeing trips since. She had rather missed it.

Rose realized the Doctor and she had been staring at each other, heat in their faces and she really had no idea why.

"Right!" she said brightly in an attempt to move on from the awkwardness, "Brilliant! So this will be a quick look and then tea and Christmas movies in the media room? Then all we would have left is a trip involving penguins and that frozen asteroid for gift shopping," she ticked off the Pre-Christmas Tour schedule on her fingers, "and then Christmas at Mum's - don't look so horrified, you can stay in the TARDIS and tinker if you want - and then you're off the hook. Back to business as usual."

"Well thank Rassilon for that!" the Doctor pulled a final lever and they landed with a thud that nearly sent them both sprawling.

Rose pushed off the console and rolled her eyes at the Doctor, "Oh hush, you know you love it. And I'll tell ya what," she winked at him. He just folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Last one on alien soil is a Slitheen fart!" Giggling madly she threw herself towards the doors of the TARDIS, tripping the Doctor as he tried to pass her. Still, she could feel him just a step behind her muttering about "cheating apes" so she put on a final burst of speed and used her momentum to launch through the doors and several steps out into the chilly new world.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, the Doctor had gotten at least _one_ thing right about their destination. It certainly was beautiful…in a desolate sort of way. To one side of them an endless plain of blue hued sands and grey shrubs sprawled out to the horizon. To the other side, rocky foothills led towards a jagged mountain range that was a dark grayish purple. Rose imagined that at sunset, the mountains would light up as a deep purple that would be quite breathtaking. With the sun already low in they sky, she realized that a sunset viewing had probably been the Doctor's plan.

Unfortunately for the two of them, the Doctor had been very wrong about the planet being uninhabited. If the beings before her had remained still, Rose could have taken the large aliens who made up their welcoming party as poorly made statues. Their skin was rough and the same grayish purple of the rocky foothills. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she even saw a bit of red moss growing on the shoulder of one of them. But despite their impressive mass and stony appearance, these aliens were anything but still. Before Rose had even fully slowed down from her race out of the TARDIS, three of the six creatures had circled back around both her and the Doctor and effectively cut them off from their ship. If Rose would have had any notion that these creatures' intent was friendly, that was dismissed when she spotted the large crossbow-like weapons that each alien kept trained on either her or the Doctor.

She heard the Doctor curse colorfully from just behind her and mutter, "Six bloody centuries and four hours too early."

"Guess superior biology doesn't lead to superior driving, eh," She teased him, "but I suppose I already knew that," she sighed, resigned to putting their sightseeing plans on hold. She hoped whatever jail cell they ended up in had central heating and a soft bed.

"Hush Rose," the Doctor whispered suddenly so close that she felt his breath puff over her ear. She shivered and it had nothing to do with the chilly air. He slid his hand into hers as he stepped up beside her and she was shocked to find his double heartbeat racing against her palm. She felt her own pulse quicken to echo his. If the Doctor was scared, that really didn't bode well for this being an easy fix. She was calmed somewhat by the slow circles his thumb was rubbing into hers, could have even been distracted if she gave in to the warming sensation his touch stirred in her, but she knew this was no time for pining. Instead, she took a breath, plastered on a vapid smile, and spoke. Sometimes blithe friendliness was just the thing to ease a tense situation.

"Er, hi!" she smiled lamely at the alien closest to her. When she felt no warning squeeze from the Doctor she continued, "We, uh, come in peace…and all that." Seeming to agree with her tactic, the Doctor nudged her arm and together they raised their hands in the universal sign of peaceful intent. _Or surrender,_ Rose thought, but quickly pushed the cynical notion aside. Surely whoever these sentient boulders were, they could be reasonable with the right persuasion. The Doctor had endless skill in that area, and she had picked up a few good techniques herself.

"Yep," Rose didn't need to turn her head to look at the Doctor to know he had a wide grin stretching across his face, "Just out for a stroll, us. Lovely planet you've got here. The sunsets are legendary, but I'm sure you already know that. 'Course, if now's a bad time, we could always…" Rose took the Doctor's gentle pressure on her hand as a cue and started edging back towards the TARDIS.

"You will come with us," the biggest boulder interrupted. The alien's mouths were heavily beaked, but still appeared to be capable of a translatable language. It's voice was so deep that Rose felt the rumbling words it as much as she heard them.

"Oh, well then," the Doctor said good naturally, "Lead the way! Wouldn't want to seem rude to our gracious hosts, would we Rose?"

"Definitely not," she agreed, smiling so hard her face hurt.

"You will come with us," was their only reply from he same large alien.

"Yes, right. But, er, before we do that, perhaps we could just pop into this blue box here. We brought a brilliant, er, hostess gift and we really wouldn't want to leave it —-"

Rose didn't even see the creature coming at her nor did she have the sensation of being torn from the Doctor's side. The creature moved with such surprising finesse that it seemed less than a second between her clutching the Doctor's hand as he worked to negotiate their escape and her being pinned tightly between the creatures arm and chest. Blimey their skin even felt like rock. She had expected it to be more like an elephant or rhino's, rocky to look at and somewhat yielding to touch. But there was nothing soft about these creatures. As the thing put more pressure into the grip, Rose gasped in pain. If it weren't for the many layers and her puffy winter jacket, she was sure her ribs would have cracked. As it was, the wind was knocked out of her and she knew she'd be black and blue the next day.

"Hey!" the Doctor yelled, his calm veneer eroding, "Alright! We get it! We'll go with you. No side trips. Just let her go, yeah?"

After a tense and painful few seconds, the creature released her. She only just managed to stay on her feet, and after a few deep breaths, she rushed back towards the Doctor, towards safety and comfort. But she stopped short when she found her way impeded by two of the massive creatures.

"You will walk separately," the one of the left instructed, "The female first, and then the male." Rose craned her neck around the creature's thick middle to meet the Doctor's eyes. He shook his head just enough for Rose to get his meaning. Right now they were doing the following rules thing. She always hated that bit. The running thing or the clever plan thing was much more fun. She really hoped they would get to that bit soon.

Rose took one last deep breath despite her protesting ribs and stepped forward obediently when she was prodded from behind by the point of a crossbow. Not being able to see the Doctor, she strained her ears and was relieved to hear the sound of his boot-clad feet amidst the heavy tromping sound of their captors. At least he was still close, just a few paces behind her. Still, Rose didn't like the fact that each step they took brought them farther from the safety of the TARDIS. And her hand felt awfully cold without his fingers laced with hers.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor trudged along through the sparse scenery with his mind a whirling storm that rivaled even the angry, lightning-touched clouds he could see brewing on the horizon. It would rain tonight. Another delightful thought to add to his list of Very Big Problems. It all started with his rubbish driving, as usual. He swore he had gotten the coordinates right, checked three times even. Usually he wouldn't have bothered with more than a cursory glance at his flight calculations, but usually he wasn't bringing Rose to a planet that was inhabited by bloodthirsty brutes for a few hundred thousand years. His aim had been several thousand years after the extinction of the dominant species, but instead he landed them right in the thick of their empire. And what a bloody treat that had turned out to be. The creatures who were currently marching them over seemingly endless rocky hills were called Xythiers, and he'd always hoped to keep his knowledge about them theoretical. Sometimes, book knowledge alone was plenty good enough, even with his endless curiosity. The Doctor knew that the Xythiers had ruled this galaxy's underworld as thieves, bounty hunters, and black market merchants until their characteristic brutality led to an early extinction. And now he'd gotten him and his very fragile human a front row seat. Xythier Behavior and Ethics (or lack thereof) - 101. He hoped they would survive this particular lesson.

 _Stupid!_ he cursed himself silently, _bloody stupid alien git_!

Because if being marched who knows where with an icy storm approaching and no visible shelter save for the blue box that was now miles behind them wasn't bad enough, if that wasn't already enough danger to put his companion in, he'd also made her a target because of his bloody inability to hide his…regard for her. Their captors had seemed to sort out right from the beginning that the fastest way to ensure his obedience was to target Rose. He wouldn't be surprised if her ribs were thoroughly bruised from the Xylthier's rough grip. Not for the first time, he wondered when he had become so transparent in his feelings for her. Centuries of being a master at reigning over every situation and it was all toppled by this scrappy human girl. And now, what was simply uncomfortable when Jackie Tyler shot him knowing looks when Rose's back was turned had become incredibly dangerous to the person he wanted most to protect. It wasn't only cowardice that prompted him to keep up barriers between himself and the young human he traveled with; It was the fierce desire to keep her safe. He couldn't do that if his enemies saw what she meant to him. And yet, for all his painful and frustrating efforts to push her away, he had failed her anyway. Now all he could do was try his best to get them out of this and make it up to her later.

With an enormous amount of willpower, he reigned in his dark thoughts and started focusing on an inventory that would hopefully lead to some kind of solution. So, what did he know? Well, since he and Rose hadn't been killed on sight, this was probably either a kidnapping for ransom or slave trade operation. The Doctor didn't really feel like sticking around to figure out which one it was, and he didn't trust the creatures to keep them safe in their increasingly exhausting trek to whatever their intended destination was. Xythiers were known for their bad habit of killing their victims before delivering them to their boss or a buyer, either through neglect or beatings. It would be up to him and Rose to keep themselves sheltered from the elements. And when it came to that, he feared more for Rose than himself. There was a good chance he could survive even with the dramatic temperature drop that would come with nightfall, but if the storm got them, Rose's many layers that currently kept her warm would do little to protect her from freezing to death in mere hours. Instead of panicking at that thought, he focused on how he was going to prevent it from happening. He chanced a glance to either side and then behind him to get his bearings. What he saw wasn't promising. With the sparse vegetation, there wouldn't be much in the way of food or shelter if - no _when_ he corrected himself - they managed to escape their captors. Their best bet would likely be to head straight back to the TARDIS as soon as they got away from the grumpy boulders. Fine by him. They could warm up, he could get Rose's ribs sorted, and then they could come back in a dozen centuries to admire the view once the Xythiers had bullied themselves to extinction. Now it was only a matter of figuring out how they were going to get away without getting beaten to death or shot through with arrows. For that he needed time, and he just hoped that Rose could hang in there until he figured something out. He couldn't help but notice how her feet had started dragging an hour or so ago, and that she was starting to stumble more than walk the sandy path ahead of him.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose was carefully and deliberately dragging her feet with each step. Sure, she was cold and exhausted and her ribs were sore, but she was nowhere near her breaking point. She didn't think it would do well for her captors to know that though. Shortly after they had started their arduous trek through some seriously challenging landscape she had slowly and steadily feigned signs of advanced fatigue. Maybe if she stumbled enough times or her pace slowed enough they would stop for a break and she could get in some hurried whispers with the Doctor. She was sure he had thought of something by now and perhaps was just waiting to communicate the plan to her.

As one hour turned into three and the threat of a storm built on the horizon, the hope of their captors allowing them a rest break dwindled. Pretty soon she was going to need one for it's intended purpose and not just to touch base with the Doctor. As miserable as she was, the worst of it was that she could neither see nor touch the Doctor. The hand that would usually contain his was instead shoved into her pocket to prevent her fingers from freezing. The monotony of their pace was even more oppressing without his deep voice teaching her about the planet and sharing a well-timed joke to lighten the mood. She only knew that he was still there, a comforting presence behind her, by the sound of his footsteps she could occasionally hear over the tromping of the aliens. She missed him. He was two bloody feet behind her and she missed him. She wasn't sure if the dominating emotion floating through her thoughts was exasperation of how far gone she already was over the bloody Time Lord or the anger at those keeping them apart.

After a particularly jarring stumble that was not quite so feigned, the Doctor finally broke the oppressive silence with a violent coughing fit. Or at least that's what it started out as. Rose turned toward him heedless of the crossbow wielding aliens flanking her to make sure he was ok. Superior Time Lord biology and all, he wasn't one to usually beak into coughing fits unprovoked. As they made eye contact Rose felt a strange wave of…something wash over her and he spoke in a rough voice.

"Rose, don't say anything. To them it just sounds like I'm coughing, but the TARDIS is selectively translating for you. Wince like you are in pain if you understand."

It wasn't hard for Rose to wince, though it was more out of grumpiness at the situation rather than pain.

"Good. We need to get away from them. Now. There's an outcropping of boulders up ahead. When I cough again that's the signal. Run towards the rocks as fast as you can. Try to change direction and zig zag so you're a harder shot, understand?"

Rose winced.

"Ok I'll explain the rest as we're running. Business as usual, yeah?"

Rose winced and tried to control the shivering now that she was still and the icy wind was whipping right through her heavy jacket.

The Doctor made a show of clearing his throat and then nodded at the aliens to let them know he was ok. They started forward again, the whole thing having taken no more than a few seconds.

Adrenaline flooded Rose's system as they drew closer to the towering pile of rocks she figured was the one the Doctor spoke of. She could see it's merits as a base point for escape with it's many hiding spots and loose rocks she reckons they could manage to push off onto their pursuers once the gained higher ground. Mind focused on the impending sprint of her life, Rose's steps became stronger and more sure. When she thought she may snap from how tightly she was wound in anticipation, the Doctor let out a loud cough and she was off.

Rose's world narrowed to the pounding of her feet as she darted towards their goal. There were no arrows whooshing by her so she figured that the weapons either took a while to load or the Doctor had done something to distract them. Probably the later. She hoped he didn't get himself shot or clobbered. When she was halfway to the rocky outcropping, a large hand grabbed hers and she twined their fingers together, gripping for all she was worth. He let out a whoop which she didn't have the breath to parrot, but a wide smile spread across her face. Her discomfort and her fear were pushed to the background with the exhilaration of escape. Not constrained by the same need for oxygen intake as her, the Doctor wasted no time in catching her up on their plan as they sprinted towards their goal.

"Oh Rose Tyler, you are brilliant! And so am I! They're Xythiers! A warrior race from the Haschire Galaxy! And would you believe they are just a little bit telepathic! Enough for me to send a bit of Oncoming Storm their way. More like Oncoming Headache for them! Ha! Should give us a nice head start and then, Rose Tyler, when we're back at the TARDIS you can tell me how impressive I am over a nice cuppa, after we see to your ribs, of course. How's that sound?" The Doctor shouted gleefully.

"Brilliant!" Rose managed to gasp out.

They reached the safety of the rocky tower right as the first arrows whizzed by them. The Doctor darted behind the first boulder, pulling her along to relative, if temporary safety.

"Right up we go!" The Doctor, annoyingly still breathing almost evenly chirped at her.

Rose just squeezed his hand before letting go and climbing up after him. She didn't dare look back in case she lost her footing or momentum, but she could hear the evidence of their pursuers gaining on them. Bloody hell but they were fast!

The Doctor scrambled over the top of the rocks and pulled her up to a rather flat plateau. Grabbing her hand again they took off at a sprint, or rather at the fastest pace Rose could manage in her exhausted state. Too soon they came to the other edge and the Doctor pulled Rose back just in time before her momentum carried her over the edge.

The Doctor swore in his native tongue as they gazed down at the churning river several meters below them. "Damn!" He muttered to himself. "Far too cold for a dip, not to mention those rocks look rather sharp. Think think think!" he smacked his forehead repeatedly. Rose left him to his muttering and turned to face their rapidly approaching attackers. Her heart leapt to her throat when she saw one of the larger Xyth-y-whatevers aim a very functional looking crossbow at the Doctor's left heart. Guess the two of them were going for a swim after all. She wasn't excited about the prospect.

The Doctor was caught by surprise as she leapt into him, pushing the both of them over the side of the cliff just as the zing of the discharged weapon sliced through the air.

"What Rose no!" the oblivious Time Lord yelled as he tried to regain their balance. But it was much too late for that. Rose felt him stiffen abruptly against her and with a shock of dread she wondered if the arrow had hit him. She griped him to her tightly and had no time to worry further before they plunged into the icy rapids.

The water felt like knives cutting into Rose's skin and any previous discomforts were drowned out by the agony that was assaulting every inch of her body. Still, she clung to the Doctor knowing that if he were injured, he would be relying on her to keep them afloat. She kicked desperately towards what she thought was the surface and was relieved that she felt the Doctor helping her. As her lungs began to burn in earnest and the pair were tossed around in the swirling rapids, she wondered if even their combined efforts would be enough.

She distantly felt her grip slipping from around the Doctor but that was ok, really. Blackness dimmed the already murky water that pressed in around her and she her thoughts became only weak whispers in her mind. _Just like going to sleep_ , she mused. And distantly wondered why that thought was laced with regret.

Then her world erupted back into a whirl of sensation as her head broke the surface of the water. With oxygen, reality came screaming back to her. Oh god! Had she let go of the Doctor!?

She had, but the tugging on her upper arm told her that he had her in a tight grip. The two of them now bobbed at the surface of the water, taking in much needed air. Rose tried to muster up enough breath to ask if he was ok, but they were thrust into a bolder by the strong current and she found herself back under water. Over an over they were part of this erratic dance of struggling for the surface, breaking through to take in gulps of air, and then plunging back under the rapids. Each time Rose felt a little more strength and awareness leave her. She didn't even feel cold anymore. Everything was about staying in the Doctor's strong embrace, avoiding the boulders jutting out of the riverbed, and taking in as much air as possible when she could.

Rose didn't know how long they kept this up, but eventually she felt the rapids calm slightly and the Doctor's movements became more purposeful as he dragged them towards the far river bank. Too weak to match his movements, Rose clung to him and just tried to keep her head above the water. Finally, she felt the muddy shore under her body as the Doctor dragged them both out of the water. He collapsed down beside her, their feet still dangling in the shallows and they coughed up what felt like half a lung of river water. She wanted to turn to him, to make sure that he was ok, but the blackness from earlier was clouding her vision. Before she could utter more than his name, it had overtaken her.


	5. Chapter 5

Through the gasps of air the Doctor was gratefully taking in, he heard Rose whisper his name. He turned towards her at the sound just in time to see her head loll back into the mud as she lost consciousness. Panic gripped his hearts. _No!_ Scrambling closer to her he checked her pulse and breathing. He only took another breath himself when both vital signs were present. The Doctor collapsed back down towards her and rested his forehead on hers briefly as he waited for his strength to return. He brushed her wet and tangled hair back from her face and palmed her cheek, wincing when he felt how cold it was. He checked her over for injuries and sucked in a breath through his teeth when he saw a long, deep gash that spanned across her right arm. He'd need to see to that…just as soon as he caught his breath. A respiratory bypass could only do so much, after all. He took a few more deep breaths and used the pause in action to check their surroundings for danger. The Xythiers were long gone, stuck up on a cliff far upstream. If he remembered correctly, they were unable to swim and would have sunk right down to the bottom with their density. That meant they could only pursue him and Rose by land. With the help of the fast current, the Doctor and Rose had a large head start. Unfortunately, it was in the opposite direction of the TARDIS. He grimaced as he heard the rumble of thunder of the approaching storm and wasn't sure their situation had actually improved all that much from when they were being marched up the sandy path towards the mountains.

He was shaken from his musings when Rose started coughing violently. He eased her up until she was leaning heavily against his chest. He murmured calming words as he brushed back the hair that had again once again fallen in her face and ran his hand over the soggy back of her coat in slow, soothing circles. After a few minutes her hacking coughs calmed until she was finally breathing closer to normal. She shivered violently against him and murmured a simple, "Blimey."

The Doctor chuckled softly. She had a way of summarization that baffled and deeply impressed him. "I'll say. You were brilliant, Rose Tyler."

"Not so bad yourself," she countered back through chattering teeth. "Reckon you saved my life…again."

"Only because you saved mine first. That arrow would have stopped one of my hearts if it weren't for you," he smiled into her damp hair.

She turned so she could look up at him, her faced scrunched up in concern, "did it hit you? I thought I felt…"

"Just a scrape," he eased back so she was sitting independently and showed her the graze the arrow left along his left bicep, "No biggie."

"No biggie?" she laughed tiredly with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, don't think that particular phrase works for me, does it?" In response Rose wrinkled her nose and shook her head. She looked so adorable when she did that, he had to remind himself that snogging Rose Tyler was not something that he did. Especially not in life or death situations. Although, now that he thought of it, that's when the prospect often seemed particularly attractive.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, now serious. She traced her fingers lightly around the shallow cut with her uninjured hand and the Doctor shivered at her delicate touch. _Oh blimey, now is really not the time for that!_ he chastised himself.

"Naw, just stung a little at first but it'll be healed up so quick it's not even worth running it over with the sonic. On the other hand," he gingerly reached for Rose's injured arm.

"Oh, where'd that come from?" Rose furrowed her brow as she looked at the slowly seeping wound.

"Probably one of the rocks," he guessed.

He inspected the cut more thoroughly and pressed his lips to her palm before he realized what he was doing. Her breath hitched and he looked up finding their faces were much closer than he had realized.

"What, Jackie never kissed your boo-boos better?" he tried to make it into a joke but his voice came out too soft and much too low to match his intended meaning.

His sovely, amazing companion laughed anyway, "Guess she did. Yeah. But that's probably because she didn't have a sonic." She smiled at him with that tongue touched smile and suddenly their situation didn't seem quite so horrible. They were together, after all.

"Right you are, Rose Tyler. Let me just…" he plunged the hand not cradling Rose's into his jacket pocket. He had sworn he had put it in there, but he must have switched it to the other pocked at some point. Nope. Maybe an inside pocket?

"Er…" he said lamely.

Rose groaned and teased him, "Don't tell me the very impressive Time Lord forgot his favorite toy!"

"Of course not," he scoffed in feigned indignation to hide his growing unease, "Must have fallen out in the river. Come to think of it, I seem to be missing quite a bit," he continued to rummage through his bigger on the inside pockets, cataloging the the missing items.

He let out a bark of frustration, "And that was my favorite yo-yo! Got is signed by Houdini, I did!" Then more seriously to Rose, "I'm so sorry Rose. I'll see if I can find something to make a bandage and then I'll fix you back up in the TARDIS."

"S'fine Doctor. If it get's much colder I'm not going to be feeling it anyway." The Doctor knew she was joking but he also knew there was a large amount of truth in that statement. And if the rolling thunder was any indication, it was going to start raining any minute. Not that either of them could really get much wetter...

He hurriedly cobbled together a bandage using some moss samples he had from a horticulturalist friend and a hair ribbon of Rose's from when they went to a 1920's State Fair in Kansas. "How's that feel then?" He asked her as he tenderly lowered the injured arm.

Rose shrugged, "Bout the same, but I have to say I am rather impressed with your creativity in the bandage." The Doctor took a moment to bask in her praise before helping her up to her feet.

"Alright Rose Tyler, we have a TARDIS to get home to. You up for a leisurely jaunt through this lovely rock garden? Sunset should be brilliant." He twined his fingers in with her uninjured arm and they set off.

"Well when you put it like that…" they both chuckled but were so tired it was only with a fraction of the energy of their usual shared laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose looked at the icy rain falling from purple clouds and wondered how it was she came to be facing the sky instead of the horizon. Hadn't she just been stumbling along beside the Doctor? With some effort, she pulled the details together and realized that she must have fallen. Again.

There was a tugging at her arm.

"Rose? C'mon, up you get. We have to keep moving. That-a-girl. We're almost there. Just take a breath and then let's get those feet back under you, eh?" Rose groaned. Distantly, she knew the Doctor was right, that they had to keep moving, but her body was screaming at her to curl up and sleep. Then again, this supposedly brilliant alien had also made her take off her sodden winter clothes to don a thin, but dry jumper he'd liberated from his pockets as well as his leather jacket. Something about being wet in the wind…Rose couldn't exactly remember, but she was sure she'd have been warmer in even a soaking wet winter coat. She felt her eyes start to drift shut.

"Oi! None of that now! Wake up, Rose! I SAID WAKE UP!" the thundering voice roused her, and with the help of two strong arms, she found herself standing once again.

"M' awake," she grumbled, then looked at the rain soaked Doctor questioningly, "Aren't you cold?"

"A bit," he waved her concern away, "about the same as the last twenty times you asked."

"Oh," was all she said. They set off.

They were heading…somewhere…there was a destination just…just ahead, but Rose couldn't quite remember…And then she was stumbling again. At least this time, the Doctor's strong arms prevented her from falling to the ground.

"Alright, that's it," she heard him mutter. Oh, was he finally going to let her sleep? She thought that sounded like a brilliant plan. Instead he started dragging her over to a large pile of rocks that had formed a sort of U shape. "C'mon Rose. That's it. Just a bit further."

"Liar," she muttered, suddenly remembering that he had said the same thing repeatedly for the last hour.

He chuckled, but it was shaky, and when she looked up at his face, it was set in grim determination. "Not this time, Rose. I've got a bit of a plan." Oh, there was his grin. She loved his grin, loved _him_ …maybe she should tell… _NO_! Rose shook her head, trying to regain some clarity. She really needed to pull herself together before she did something stupid that jeopardized their friendship.

Rose looked harder at his face, trying to anchor herself back to reality and was shocked to see the fear that was in his ice blue eyes even as he smiled down at her. Sensing her scrutiny, he raised his gaze to the horizon and muttered to no one in particular, "I didn't want to…but really there's no choice, is there?"

His anxiety broke through some of the fog that had suffused Rose's mind. She stopped short and tugged the Doctor to a halt next to her, "What's goin' on, Doctor? What don't you wanna do?"

He looked at her for a long moment, seemingly debating whether to tell her. To her relief he must have decided to clue her in. "Remember how I told you about regeneration…" he began

Rose's insides went cold in a way that even the freezing ambient temperature couldn't cause. Was he dying!? He had seemed to be well enough. The arrow hadn't hit him in anyplace vital and he wasn't even shivering from the cold. But…oh! Oh god! What if he was already beyond shivering. Somewhere in the back of Rose's fuzzy mind she remembered something about hypothermia being severe once the person _stopped_ shivering. How could she not have noticed the state her Doctor was in!? She needed to help him! She needed to…

"I'm not dying, Rose," he said calmly, seeming to read her panicky thoughts, "But…" Oh, she really did not like the sound of that. _But? He wasn't dying, but!? But what!?_

He continued, "But, well, I may have to…change."

She stared at him blankly, swaying slightly on her feet. Was it the icy fog clouding her thoughts or was he just not making any sense. "Wha?"

He stepped closer to her and cupped her cheek with his palm. Normally, his skin was somewhat cool to her, but now his ability to maintain his body temperature made his hand feel pleasantly warm. She nuzzled into it for a moment before she remembered herself.

He chuckled again, and once again the note of fear was unmasked in the sound, "Sorry, I suppose I'm not explaining things very well." Rose shook her head. "Let me start again. When I…regenerate. When I change, there's a lot of heat that's let off as part of the process." Rose really wasn't liking where this was going. She took a step back out of his reach. "Let out all at once, it's hotter than plasma, but if I can harness it, let it out slowly…"

"No!" Rose shook her head as she stumbled away from him. He was NOT going to sacrifice himself for her. She wouldn't allow it. She forced her leaden legs to move faster. But even so, the Doctor easily kept up with her stumbling pace and overtook her.

"It's the only way, Rose. It's the only way I have to keep you…to keep _us_ warm. Even I won't make it through the night once the temperature falls, not in this freezing rain," he lied, "And we're still too far from the TARDIS -"

"No!" Rose said more vehemently, putting all her remaining strength into the word, "I won't let you. I'll…I'll run away!"

He just looked at her sadly, both of them knowing she was grasping at straws. Still, she turned and ran from him, or rather stumbled at a more frantic pace. It didn't take long for her feet to get tangled in a shrub and she cried out at the reawakened pain in her ribs when she fell to the rocky ground. The Doctor calmly walked up to her and whisked her up into his arms. "No." She said weakly, tears joining the icy raindrops on her cheeks. "No."

The Doctor carried her over to the pile of rocks and settled down with his back against the rocky wall with her between his legs. "Now once I start, I won't be able to talk much. I can't be interrupted because it will take all my concentration to keep the process in check. Just stay close to me, and we should both be fine until morning. You can even sleep if you want. Just, if it get's too hot, you have to get away from me immediately. I'll try to control the process, but there's no guarantee…"

Rose could already feel her eyes drooping, but she shook the drowsiness away. Grunting with effort, she struggled back to her feet and for once, towered over the Doctor who still sat against the rock wall.

"I won't let you," they were both surprised at the strength in her voice, "If you do this, I'll just run away again once you start. And I'm gunna keep doing it. You can't stop me, and it makes no sense for both of us to die."

"You bloody well won't!" he was standing in an instant, his eyes no longer worried or pleading, but rather shining in anger.

"Oh won't I?" she yelled back through a dry throat, "You can't stop me once you get started and you know it." A small voice in Rose's head told her that her argument was far from logical, but she stubbornly pushed it aside.

"Rose," he growled, advancing on her even as she took shuffling steps backward.

"When you think about it, it's for the best, Doctor. I'm just a stupid ape, yeah? But you? You are…blimey, I dunno some kind of superhero. You're important! To the whole _universe_! I'll not have you waste one of your lives on me. I'm not worth it."

"You don't have a choice, Rose" he growled, and then, he threatened her for the first time she could remember, "I'll knock you out if I have to. I don't want to, but Rose, I'm not losing you."

She stalled her clumsy escape attempts, knowing she was fighting a losing battle, "Why?" she asked brokenly, feeling her Doctor slipping away even as he stood before her radiating life.

"Because I _love_ you, you stubborn, hot-headed, gorgeous, _amazing_ human!"

They stared at each other with wide eyes, neither daring to speak. For a moment the only sound was the roaring wind and the patter of icy rain on the already sodden ground.

"You…you what?" she finally whispered. He either heard or could read her lips.

Something in him seemed to let go and he sagged where he stood, "I love you." He repeated the most beautiful words Rose had ever heard. When he looked back up at her, there was such honesty and pleading in his eyes, she couldn't help but take a step towards him. "I love you, Rose Tyler. Have done for some time now. So you see how I can't just let you die out here. Not when there's something I can do about it."

Rose let out a choked sob. She closed the remaining distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist and burrowing her head into his wet jumper. He returned the embrace fiercely and whispered once more, as if once the words were said, he couldn't stop himself, "I love you, Rose Tyler."

She let him lead her back to the rocky wall and curled up against him once they were both seated. She was close to numb with the range of emotions raging inside her, but as a faint yellow glow started to rise off her Doctor's skin, she knew she had to tell him. She had to make sure he knew before he changed and she lost this Doctor forever.

She looked up into his face, meeting his soft blue-eyed gaze and cupped his cheek, "And I love you, my Doctor. I've loved you for so long, and I promise, I'll love you even if you have to change." The glow from his skin faded and for a moment Rose worried that he had been too far into the process for her to distract him. But then his lips were on hers and any worry, any pain was pushed from her mind. The kiss was short and gentle, but her head was still reeling when he slowly pulled away.

"It'll be ok, Rose," he whispered as he wiped the tears off her cheeks, "Because even if I change, I'll still love you. Know that Rose. If nothing else, please know that."

"I do," she sobbed. And it was true.

With that, he nodded, gathered her tightly in his arms and reclined back against the rocks. Rose watched his face relax and he put himself into what looked like a trance. The glow on his skin returned, quickly growing brighter now that he wasn't interrupted. And with the intensifying glow came the welcome warmth he had promised. The light grew until both of them were enclosed in a protective sphere. _Like a snow globe_ , Rose thought tiredly. Here, in their own little world, not even the rain or the sounds of the storm could reach them. It was just them, her and her Doctor in a warm embrace. She tried to stay awake, to watch every flicker in the Doctor's face, to hear each of his quiet breaths and feel the accompanying warm puff of air across her face, but her exhaustion caught up with her, and soon her eyes were drifting shut. She fell asleep to the sound of her Doctor's steady heartsbeat with a smile on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

Rose woke slowly, feeling warm and safe. She fought consciousness at first, snuggling into the fabric that pillowed her cheek. She smiled as the same double heartsbeat that serenaded her dreams continued it's steady song. It was only when her pillow shifted and strong arms tightened around her shoulders that she remembered where she was…and what she had lost. Her eyes shot open, but she could not bring herself to look up into the face of a new Doctor. What she had told him was true, she would love him even through the change, but oh, she wasn't ready to let go of _her_ Doctor just yet. Here, wrapped in his embrace, she could pretend it was still him, the one who she had first come to know and grown to love. She tried to will away the tears, not wanting to upset this new Doctor, but they came anyway. Her breath hitched and she buried her face more firmly into his chest.

"Rose," he whispered as he stroked a hand lightly through her hair. Funny, his new voice sounded just like his old one. Would that, at least, stay the same? "Rose, love it's ok. Don't cry. Look at me."

He reached down to cup her chin, but she let out a sob and shook her head. His hands felt the same too. They were large and calloused, yet gentle as they brushed against her cheek. She wondered if it would be easier or harder if her new Doctor resembled the one she fell in love with.

"Rose, what's wrong?" there was his voice again, and Rose decided it would be so much harder to hear this familiar voice spoken from a stranger's mouth. "Are you in pain? I didn't burn you did I?"

Finally, it was the clear anxiety in his voice that made her brave tilting her head up to meet his eyes. She gasped, "Doctor! But…you're still you!"

He chuckled, "Oh was that what had you so upset? Yep! Still this daft old face! There was always a chance I could manage it without regenerating. Hope you're not too disappointed."

Rose's face transformed into a huge grin. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she let out a joyous laugh. "Oh thank god!" she cried, though now her tears were from happiness.

The Doctor hugged her back fiercely. "Oh Rose, my Rose," he murmured into her hair.

She pulled herself back until she could see his face. She cupped each cheek with her hands, "My doctor," she whispered, then brought her lips to his.

There was nothing short or gentle about this kiss. It was hard and passionate and Rose quickly lost herself in the Doctor. _Her_ Doctor. She smiled into his lips before diving back into the best snog of her life.

Some time later the Doctor eased back to rest his forehead on hers. They were both breathing roughly and grinning like idiots. Rose couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh. "Blimey," she said, painting one last kiss on the Doctor's swollen lips.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked as he ran his thumb to wipe away the last traces of her earlier tears.

"Bit better than," she sighed happily. Then her face grew serious and she brought her hands up from where they had rested over his two hearts to trace the beloved features of his face. "Doctor, I was so afraid I'd lost you."

"Nope. Still me," he said softly, "but Rose, even if I had regenerated, you still wouldn't have lost me. Different packaging, same man. And that man will always, _always_ love you. So much so that I imagine when I do finally regenerate, it will be into one of your pretty boys," he chuckled but the comment set Rose on edge.

"I'd rather you stay you," she whispered and tucked her head under his chin so he wouldn't see the fresh tears that shone in her eyes.

"I'll regenerate someday, Rose. And if we are both very lucky, it will be a long time from now and you'll still be with me. I promise I'll do everything in my power to make that someday far off. But when it happens," here he cupped her chin to bring her face up to meet his. It took no small amount of courage for her to meet his eyes and show him all she was feeling. But he was finally opening up to her, and she couldn't loose her courage now. When she met his eyes, he continued, "Rose, when it happens, I have to know you'll be ok."

Rose forced herself to pause before she responded, thinking about his regeneration as a future, though not an immediate event. If what he said was true, and she doubted he would lie to her, then even when he changed his face, he'd still be him, her Doctor. And in the long future that stretched out before them, surely she would change too. From what the Doctor had said and how he'd acted in the past several hours, he'd still love her, still have her hand in his as they wandered from adventure to adventure. Well, if he could be brave enough to commit himself to a human who would slow, and whither, and probably get a bit fuddy with time if Grandma Prentice was anything to go by, then she could commit herself fully to a mad alien who may change his face and whole personality. She smiled.

"What?" the Doctor asked, noticing her change in expression.

"S'just that, even after all this time, you're still teaching me new things," she pecked him on the lips, clearly surprising him.

"Oh? And what is it that I am teaching you?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh lots," her grin grew wider and she rose up on her knees so that she could leave a kiss on his forehead, "Like people change," she kissed his right cheek, "but that's ok," she kissed his left cheek, "when you love them as much as I love you," she kissed him on the lips, though this one lingered.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. After a few blissful moments she pulled back, "So yes Doctor, someday, when you regenerate, I'll be ok. Because I'll still have you. And we'll get through it together."

"Oh my brilliant girl," the Doctor said reverently. He pulled her back for a searing kiss and neither of them talked for a long time.

Rose couldn't tell if it had been minutes, hours, or days when she finally pulled back from the Doctor's lips into the his strong chest. In some respects, she never wanted to stop snogging him, but with her feeling so blissfully happy and the sunlight was warm on her body she could just as easily drift back off to sleep.

The Doctor chuckled and she felt the rumble in his chest, "Oi! I think the human has gotten quite enough sleep already. And besides, we have a TARDIS to get to. Can't waste a day of our Winter Tour snoozing here!"

The mention of the Winter Tour reminded Rose where they were and that more than a dramatic change in her relationship with the Doctor happened yesterday. She shot upright, "Wait a second! It's…warm? But you're not all," she waved her hands at him, "glowy!"

"Astounding observational skills you've got there," the Doctor teased, "Course it's warm! It's daytime, and you're properly dressed in warm, dry clothes now. It can get quite hot on this planet near midday, actually. Best be gone by then. Wouldn't want to ruin our trend for chilly destinations. For all I know you'll get a little sunburn and we'll have to start all over with this tour thing."

"Oh and you hate it so much," Rose bit her tongue as she smiled back at him, "So s' must me a big planet we're on then, to have such long days and nights and such dramatic temperature changes."

"Correct!" the Doctor said proudly, "and a relatively slow rate of rotation around it's axis."

"So how long do we have to wait to finally see that sunset we missed? I mean, after all this trouble to see it, we're gunna stick around for it, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Errrr…about fourteen hours," the Doctor replied. At the dismay in Rose's face he laughed and started to stand, bringing Rose with him. "But, it shouldn't be much more than a three hour trek back to the TARDIS, and then, well, sunset can be whenever you want."

"That's more like it!" Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him along as she started to walk.

"Rose, love, the TARDIS is that way," the Doctor laughed and pointed somewhere off to their right. Rose couldn't help the happy flutter in her stomach at the endearment.

"Right then, let's go right," she giggled and tugged his hand in the new direction, "Come on Time Lord, I'm starvin' and we have a sunset to watch."

The Doctor laughed and sped up to match her determined pace. They would be home soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Normally Rose would have been grouchy when the "three hours" the Doctor had promised had turned into five. On top of that, her stomach was aching with hunger, her limbs were heavy with fatigue, and the steadily rising temperature was going against the whole Christmas theme she'd had going. But none of that could sour her mood when it was was buoyed up impossibly high by the alien walking beside her. She couldn't help a silly grin permanently gracing her features as she trudged along with the Doctors hand in hers. Not that he seemed to be able to help himself either. She caught him with a ridiculous grin more than once when she stole sideways glances in his direction. It was the same game they had always played, furtive looks and flirty chatter, but now instead of this dance leaving her frustrated and pining, it tended to end in snogging. Now that she thought about it, that could be why the three hours had turned into five. That and the Doctor's rubbish sense of direction.

"Well it's not my fault!" the Doctor scoffed at her when she brought this up to him. Then, his voice lowered to smoldering and his eyes grew dark as they held her gaze, "It's not my fault," he repeated, "that I have a companion who is so _very_ …distracting."

Rose felt her insides turn to mush and then… well then they were snogging again.

"Mmmmm," Rose hummed when they came up for air, "We keep this up and we'll never get home." She didn't miss the way the Doctor's eyes danced when she referred to the TARDIS as such. "And that really, really should be a priority. What with the brutish locals and the needing to eat and the…" the rest of that thought fizzled out when her focus narrowed to the Doctor's kiss-bruised lips. She leaned in, but he just chuckled, pecked her on the lips and grabbed her hand to resume their trek. It took her a dazed moment to follow so she was a step behind him when he turned around and said, "Not the only one distracted now, am I?"

"Oh shut it!" Rose laughed and then sped up until they were side by side once again. She nudged his shoulder with her own and they both laughed.

"What you did manage to say, before you became overly fascinated with my mouth, is true. We really should make better time. Don't want the goons to find us and the constant rumbling in that stomach of yours is not the best soundtrack for a walk through a desert wasteland. Not to mention I can't just use regeneration energy every time we catch a chill. No, we best get back. Plenty of time for…other things once we're safe." The Doctor had looked at her in a way that would have made her tingly if she hadn't been focused on him bringing up how he had saved them the night before.

She walked a few paces in silence before asking, "How did all that work exactly? The regeneration energy thing, I mean."

The Doctor stared thoughtful at the horizon, "To be honest, I don't fully know. I thought I had just as good a change of triggering an immediate full regeneration as generating warmth for the ten or so hours we needed it. But I had to try something…" he trailed off before adding brightly, "But it all worked out, eh? Warm and toasty Rose, same 'ol Doctor."

Rose nodded absently. There was still something bothering her. "But there had to be some negative effects for you, yeah? I mean, as you said, you can't just go all glowy all the time. And in school…I learned something…something like energy can't be made from nothing? Is that right?"

"First Law of Thermodynamics!" the Doctor beamed at her and Rose couldn't help but smile even as she worried about what keeping her warm had cost her Doctor. "Energy can be neither created or destroyed. Einstein hardly needed any help in coming up with that one, the Third Law, however, well-"

"Doctor," Rose cut in, raising her eyebrows meaningfully. She wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily.

"Right, sorry. You, my brilliant Rose Tyler, are correct all around. The energy needed to come from somewhere since there was nothing to trigger a natural regeneration. I burned up a few decades of my life to get things cooking and then went into a trance to contain it all. Easy! And since you are such a scholar of science now: 24.3 degrees of heat spread out over 9.52 Earth hours is the exact amount of energy of 33 years, 6 days, 23 hours, 21 minutes and 16 seconds of a Time Lord's life. Totally worth it!" This time Rose couldn't answer his wide grin.

"Oh," was all she could manage as her throat tightened up. 33 years!? A quarter of a human life just gone, and all the Doctor could do was grin and say ' _Easy!_ ' Did her really have so little regard for his own life?

"Rose," he said softly, stopping and giving her arm a tug to turn her around to face him, "I'm over 900 years old. I could live for centuries more, millennia even. 33 years is nothing, nothing to a Time Lord, anyway. Not to mention it's nothing compared to what I would give up to keep you safe, to keep you happy."

It was all Rose could do to keep the tears in. She stared down at her feet, unable to meet his eyes, "I would never want you to give up anything for me," she whispered.

"And I'd never want you to put yourself in danger, or leave a normal life behind, or see some of the worst things in the universe, but…well, it's little late for that. When I told you I love you…when I continue to tell you I love you, it isn't just saying the words. It's accepting all that comes with it. Why else did you think it took me so long?"

"Dunno, just thought you were repressed or something," Rose mumbled, but she felt her lips turning up the tiniest bit. The Doctor chuckled, then took her other hand so both of hers were gripped in his large palms. He swung their arms back and forth.

"Rose, look at me so I can see that lovely simile you're fighting," the Doctor said tenderly, but with restrained humor in his voice.

She finally met his eyes and caught her breath at what she saw there.

"I love you. And for some barmy reason, you love me too. So this? This is what we do. For each other. Because we can't bear not to. Alright?" he asked.

"So the next time I come after you to break you out of some alien prison, you won't be cross?" she asked, biting her tongue as her smile widened.

"We'll see," he chuckled and dropped her hand to wrap her into an embrace.

"Hypocrite," Rose laughed into the soft leather of his jacket.

"One step at a time, yeah?" he tried to justify.

Rose pulled back to look him in the eyes, "One step at a time," she agreed. The guilt was still there, nestled in with the fear of all that he would do for her, but it was pushed into the background. Because he was right. She would do anything for him too.

And then, they were snogging again.

So much for making better time.


	9. Chapter 9

**I just want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, and shared this story! You guys are the best! :)**

* * *

Rose sat curled into the Doctor's side as they let their feet dangle out the open doorway to the TARDIS. The ship was floating above the same rocky planet they'd been hiking through just hours ago, though now it was a millennia in the planet's future. And a brilliant sunset played out in front of them. Finally.

The view was spectacular. Rose understood why the Doctor had initially wanted to take her here. Not only did the mountains glow a brilliant purple in the waning light, but the sky lit up in blues and greens, more similar to the Northern Lights, than the usual sunset on Earth. Farther up in the sky, where darkness had already taken a firmer hold, there was an amazing view of millions of stars as well as a few nearby planets the Doctor had pointed out.

"Mmmmmm," Rose hummed into her cup of hot coco, finally feeling cozy and full after the huge dinner the TARDIS had set out for them upon their arrival, "We should have just done this from the beginning."

"You're probably right," the Doctor chuckled, "Suppose I was too much of a coward though. This, what we're doing…it's very domestic, you know."

"Oh poor Doctor," Rose giggled and pecked him on the cheek.

"Oh yes. Poor me. A beautiful woman in my arms, a spectacular view, and all of time and space at my fingertips. How can I ever go on?" he said with sarcasm that was for once, not biting. Rose thought she could get emotional if she thought too hard about how this once angry and broken man could speak about his life this happily. So instead she decided to tease him to keep with the light mood.

"So a little bit of domestic isn't so bad then?" Rose grinned up at him, biting her tongue.

"Not if it's with you," the Doctor replied before catching that teasing tongue with his lips. The hot coco spilled somewhere out in the planet's atmosphere and neither one of them talked for a long time after that.

The Doctor was miserable…or at least he rather thought he should be. He was wearing some hideous red and white Christmas sweater that Rose had used truly unfair means of persuasions to get him to wear, sitting stiffly in the living room of a garishly decorated flat. He felt neutered. He felt humiliated. He felt…just the slightest bit excited to see what was in the brightly wrapped package with his name on it under the tree. And, he supposed, the scents wafting out from the kitchen where Jackie and Rose were busy cooking a small feast did make his mouth water just a little bit. And he was currently annihilating Micky in a game of chess…oh Rassilon, what had become of him. He was spending Christmas at Jackie's and very nearly enjoying himself.

He heard Rose's laughter filter in from the kitchen and couldn't help the reflex of whipping his head towards the most beautiful sound in the universe. Well, the most beautiful sound outside their bedroom, at least.

Mickey gave a loud snort and smirked once the Doctor looked back in his direction.

"What?" he growled at Ricky the Idiot.

"It's just…you are _so_ done for, boss," Micky almost looked sympathetic but couldn't quite get that stupid knowing grin off his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Doctor snarked back. The fact that he knew damn well what this human boy was talking about, and how very true it was, didn't mean he had to give _Ricky_ the satisfaction of knowing it.

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean, old man. You are so in love with her that even a stupid ape like me can beat you at chess." Micky laughed and then moved a piece on the chessboard.

"What? But..What?!" the Doctor sputtered. Surely, he wasn't so transparent.

"Check mate, mate," Micky's smug grin now practically took up his whole stupid face. The Doctor looked down at the board that he'd rather forgot about. Sure enough Mickey had somehow caught him in a trap with the game pieces the Doctor had mastered before he was a year old. _Just bloody brilliant._

"Well congratulations. One game out of seven. You really must be proud of yourself," he said sarcastically.

"Oi! Play nice boys," the Doctor couldn't help the way his head snapped around once more to follow Rose's every move as she entered the room dusting flower off her hands. He resolutely ignored Micky's loud guffawing, a feat easier to manage when Rose slid onto the sofa beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hello," she smiled up at him.

"Hello," he replied stupidly, too distracted by her dazzling smile to think of something brilliant to say.

"Dinner'll be ready in an hour, so Mum and I thought it would be a good time for prezzies, that ok?" she batted her eyes up at him and he would have agreed to anything in that moment.

"Er, sure," he managed.

"Brilliant!" she almost seemed to glow as she pranced over to the tree and started handing out presents. _Beaming away like you're Father Christmas,_ he thought fondly, grinning at the memory from the day they'd first danced. Not _danced_ danced, but it still had been the start of something.

"Like I said," Mickey whispered when Rose was just out of earshot rummaging through presents at the far side of the tree, "You are so completely done for."

Apparently it wasn't soft enough of a whisper though, because Jackie piped in. When had she even come into the room?

"He really is, isn't he," she nodded at him with a thoughtful look on her face. "Well," she gave a shrug, "if my little girl had to go falling for a mad adventuring alien, at least he loves her back. That's how I know he'll keep her safe."

"What!?" why was the Doctor spending all his time sputtering today? "What!? I…we're not…" his eyes narrowed at Jackie, "What did she tell you?"

Mickey hooted and Jackie rolled her eyes, "Nothing, sweetheart, but she didn't need to tell me, what with you both grinning like loons since you walked in the doors and floating around the flat like you have wings strapped to your feet. Rose hardly stopped humming the whole time we were cookin'. And you just confirmed any suspicion I'd ever had, so thanks for that." The wink she sent his way made him feel slightly ill.

"Mum!" Rose scolded as she set an armload of presents on top of the chessboard, though the effect was lessened by the deep blush spreading over her face and down her neck.

"Oh don't you 'Mum' me. Just tell me he treats you right and that he'll keep you safe," Jackie split her glare between an embarrassed Rose and a mortified Doctor.

"Of course, Mum," Rose murmured, staring at her feet, "We look out for each other. That's the deal. Right Doctor?"

"Always," he momentarily forgot the others in the room when she looked up to meet his gaze that was, of course, already fixed on her.

"Always," she whispered back, though he could easily hear her even from the other side of the room.

"Right!" Jackie broke the spell by punctuating the interruption with a clap of her hands, "Now that everything's out in the open, maybe we can finally get to the celebrat'n!"

"No complaints from me!" Rose grinned and proceeded to snuggle up to the Doctor on the sofa. Perhaps there were benefits from having their new relationship 'out in the open,' as Jackie had said. As Rose handed him the hastily wrapped package he'd been eyeing earlier with a huge, beaming smile, he decided that he may just survive this evening after all.

"Oh, and Doctor, you'll have a proper earth wedding. None of this eloping on Mars or whatever nonsense your lot does. And you'll bring the grandbabies round at least twice a week, and…," Jackie really was unstoppable when she got going. The Doctor groaned and buried his head in Rose's hair. So much for survival.

At least she was worth it.


End file.
